But before giving Elway a grade of A on his free-agent bonanza, here’s the caveat. If the Broncos failed to find bona fide leaders during their spending spree, the ballyhooed signings of defensive end DeMarcus Ware, cornerback Aqib Talib and safety T.J. Ward won’t be worth a dime.

The Broncos ranked 22nd among 32 NFL teams in points allowed last season. Their defensive holes were obvious.

What the Denver defense lacked most in 2013, however, was a voice.

The Super Bowl got out of hand in a hurry for the Broncos. They were unnerved by a botched snap on the first play from scrimmage, and then they got punked by Seattle’s athleticism. Momentum and emotion swing harder in big games. Before the first quarter was over, Denver was free-falling. Free-falls end in a thud.

For all the greatness of Peyton Manning, one man, even if he’s a quarterback with Hall of Fame credentials, is not enough to turn off the emotional blender that trapped the Broncos on championship Sunday.

I ignored one very bad sign for the Broncos during Super Bowl week. During the crush of media day, captain Wesley Woodyard was largely ignored by the cameras and microphones. The linebacker had been made a scapegoat for what was wrong with the defense, and had seen his starting job given to Paris Lenon, a 36-year-old journeyman. It was obvious Woodyard was ticked. But, classy above all else, Woodyard told me that if Denver won a championship, his difficult season would be made whole.

In the name of being a team player, Woodyard, one of the strongest voices on the Denver defense, had been silenced.

Veteran Champ Bailey, another one of the team’s captains, had gone from shutdown corner to part-time player. You can’t lead from the bench.

Von Miller, a Pro Bowl linebacker, had been reduced from Vonster to clueless prankster through a sequence of personal misfortune and unfortunate injury. It’s entirely possible Miller can again be a dominate pass rusher, but to think he could or should be a leader of this defense would be a joke.

Elway realized his team was in a bad spot after the Super Bowl. He took dramatic action. Ward was signed for $23 million to bring thump to the secondary. Coming off injury and open questioning by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Ware was given a $30 million contract to form a tag team with Miller designed to body slam opposing quarterbacks. Talib, never known as a Boy Scout, got a $57 million deal to fill the shoes of Bailey.

Good luck with all that.

The three new, big-name defenders have talent.

But which one will lead the Broncos and give the defense a voice? My money’s on Ward. We shall see.

Broncomaniacs won’t like hearing this. Coach John Fox would swear it’s not true.

But that 43-8 loss to Seattle not only closed the window on Denver’s window of opportunity to win a championship with Manning, it slammed that window shut.

It is my contention a loss so huge in a game so big looms large in a team’s psyche. After the disturbing playoff loss to Baltimore a season earlier, Denver leadership could sell players on the idea of unfinished business. But here’s the truth, which becomes apparent with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight: The 2012 Broncos were better than the 2013 Broncos.

Elway did the bold, smart thing by conducting an extreme makeover of his roster. The loss to Seattle left too much emotional scar tissue in the locker room. Elway had to purge it, or the Broncos were doomed to be a disappointment in 2014.

Nothing against any of them, but guard Zane Beadles, receiver Eric Decker, cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, returner Trindon Holliday and even Woodyard had to go, because the vibe in the locker room had to change sufficiently in order for Denver to believe next season really is a fresh start.

The window that was slammed shut? Elway pried it back open by spending big on three top-notch defenders, plus receiver Emmanuel Sanders.

But here’s the bottom line: The Broncos have been too reliant on the talent and the voice of Manning.

If Denver is going to have any shot at getting back to the Super Bowl, the Broncos need Ware, Ward and Talib to talk the talk and walk the walk.